Thursday, January 3, 2008

The best salmon ever

A few years ago, when my mom and stepdad had just gotten married, my stepdad decided to cook my mom a nice dinner.My mother’s favorite food is fresh wild salmon, so my stepdad went out to grill her some salmon filets.One problem: the smell of any kind of fish or seafood makes my stepdad instantly ill.So as soon as he put the salmon on the grill, he had to run to the bushes to vomit.

Well, somehow my stepdad managed to finish cooking the fish.He picked it up off the grill with a pair of tongs, put it on a plate, and dropped it.The salmon went tumbling down onto the concrete block upon which the grill is mounted… which, at the time, was covered in dog pee, leaves and dirt.

Lucy gobbled up half of the fish before my stepdad was able to get it up off the ground.After having suffered so much to make a special meal for my mom, he wasn’t about to go back in the house empty-handed.So he brushed off the leaves and dirt (let’s not think about the dog pee) and threw the salmon back on the grill for a few more minutes.Then he took it inside (this time without dropping it) and served it.

My mom ate every last bite.After the meal was over, she exclaimed, “Honey, that was the best salmon I’ve ever tasted!”

My Bookshelf

Berkowitz, Allan L. and Moskovitz, Patti. Embracing the Covenant: Converts to Judaism Talk About Why & HowBerlin, Adele, Brettler, Marc Zvi and Fishbane, Michael (eds.) The Jewish Study BibleDiamant, Anita. Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and FriendsGoldman, Ari. Being JewishJohnson, Paul. A History of the JewsLieber, David and Harlow, Jules (eds.) Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary

En route to my bookshelf:

Cohen, Norman J. The Way into TorahGillman, Neil. The Way into Encountering God in JudaismHoffman, Lawrence A. The Way into Jewish PrayerKula, Irwin and Ochs, Vanessa L. (eds) The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: Clal's Guide to Everyday & Holiday Rituals & Blessings

Wish list:

Agnon, Shmuel Yosef. Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy DaysBarnavi, Eli. A Historical Atlas of the Jewish People: From the Time of the Patriarchs to the PresentDonin, Hayim H. To Pray as a Jew: A Guite to the Prayer Book and the Synagogue ServiceFrank, Daniel. The Jewish Philosophy ReaderGilbert, Sir Martin. The Holocaust: A History of the Jews of Europe During the Second World WarGreenberg, Blu. How to Run a Traditional Jewish HouseholdHammer, Reuven. Entering Jewish Prayer: A Guide to Personal Devotion and the Worship ServiceHilberg, Raul. The Destruction of the European JewsKlein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious PracticeScheindlin, Raymond P. A Short History of the Jewish People: From Legendary Times to Modern StatehoodTelushkin, Joseph. Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its HistoryTelushkin, Joseph. Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and ThinkersTwersky, Isadore (ed.) A Maimonides ReaderWaskow, Arthur I. Seasons of Our Joy